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How close or far away you position yourself from others while communicating is known as proxemics, from the Latin word proximus, meaning “near.” Proxemics often illustrates the nature of the encounter and how you feel about the people with whom you’re interacting. There are four different zones for physical distance (see Figure 6.2), and each is used in specific kinds of settings (E. T. Hall, 1963):

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Of course, these distances aren’t absolute; different people have different preferences for space. You may feel crowded if people sit closer than two feet from you, whereas your best friend may be perfectly comfortable sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with others. Space preferences also vary widely across cultures (Chen & Starosta, 2005). For example, during casual conversations, most North Americans feel comfortable an arm’s-length distance apart. Latin Americans, North Africans, and those from the northern and western Middle East tend to prefer a closer distance. Japanese and Chinese tend to keep a larger distance. Failure to appreciate these differences can cause awkwardness and anxiety during cross-cultural encounters. People from cultures emphasizing closer distance may keep edging closer to their conversation partner and may judge the other person as aloof and standoffish if he or she keeps backing away. Correspondingly, people from cultures emphasizing larger distances will be baffled by and uncomfortable with perceived invasions of their space. Because violations of space expectations can cause discomfort, try to adjust your use of space in accordance with others’ preferences whenever possible.